Maudelle Bousfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maudelle Bousfield
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Photograph of Bousfield from the University of Illinois yearbook, 1906.
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| Born |
Maudelle Tanner Brown
June 1, 1885 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | October 14, 1971 (aged 86) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Educator |
| Years active | 1913–1952 |
| Known for | Noted as the first African–American school principal within the Chicago Public Schools district. |
| Spouse(s) |
Midian Bousfield
(m. 1914; died 1948) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Henry Ossawa Tanner (cousin) W. Leonard Evans Jr. (son-in-law) |
Maudelle Tanner Bousfield (born Brown; June 1, 1885 – October 14, 1971) was an important American educator. She was the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Illinois. She also became the first African-American school principal in the Chicago Public Schools district.
Contents
Maudelle Bousfield's Life Story
Early Years and Schooling
Maudelle Tanner Brown was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents, Charles Hugh Brown and Arrena Isabella Tanner Brown, were both teachers. From a young age, Maudelle studied music at the Charles Kunkel Conservatory of Music in St. Louis.
In 1903, Maudelle started college at the University of Illinois. She studied astronomy and mathematics. She graduated with high honors in 1906. This made her the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Illinois. After this, she took more music classes in Chicago. She also earned a master's degree in education from the University of Chicago.
Her Career as an Educator
Maudelle Bousfield taught mathematics and played the piano. She stopped teaching for a short time in 1914. She returned to teaching in 1922. In 1926, she took an exam to become a school principal.
She scored very high on the exam. In 1927, she was chosen to lead Keith Elementary School. This made her the first African-American school principal in the Chicago Public Schools. Later, in 1939, she became the first African-American high school principal in the district. She was assigned to Wendell Phillips High School. This school was in the Bronzeville neighborhood and mostly served African-American students.
During World War II, Maudelle Bousfield also helped the country. She served on the Women's Policy Committee of the War Manpower Commission. She worked with other important women like Margaret A. Hickey and Sara Southall.
After eleven years, she retired from Wendell Phillips High School in 1950. She planned to travel and see the world.
Later Life and Passing
After retiring, Maudelle Bousfield traveled a lot. She also worked with the United Negro College Fund. This organization helps students attend college. She taught at Fisk University for a time. She also wrote a gardening column for the Chicago Defender newspaper.
Maudelle Bousfield was also a leader in her community. She served as the sixth international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha. This is a very old and important sorority for African-American women. She also helped start the National Association of Negro Musicians. Maudelle Bousfield passed away on October 14, 1971, in Chicago. She was 86 years old.
Family and Lasting Impact
Maudelle Bousfield was married once and had one daughter. In 1914, she married Midian Othello Bousfield, who was a doctor. They had a daughter named Maudelle, born in 1915. Their daughter later married a businessman named W. Leonard Evans Jr.. Midian Bousfield passed away in 1948. Maudelle Bousfield's cousin was the famous artist Henry Ossawa Tanner.
Maudelle Bousfield's legacy lives on. In 2013, a new student dorm at the University of Illinois was named Bousfield Hall in her honor. The Maudelle Brown Bousfield Apartments in Chicago are also named after her. They are run by the Chicago Housing Authority.
